Eustache Le Noble
The Jean Back
The political touchstone. October 1691. Dialogue XXVII.
Lyons, Antoine Briasson, 1691
in 8 rear dummy cover, 48 pages.

Eustache Le Noble, born in 1643 in Troyes and died on January 31, 1711 in Paris, was a French playwright and writer.
He comes from an honorable Champagne robe family. His father is President and Lieutenant General in Troyes. Le Noble is Baron of Saint-Georges and Renelière and Attorney General in the Parliament of Metz. Leading a dissolute life The ruined Noble is forced to sell his office to settle his debts. He fabricates false claims that he claims from the heirs of the criminal Lieutenant of Troyes Giraudin. Convinced of forgery, he is condemned and locked up in the Conciergerie, where he falls in love with Gabrielle Perreau, the Belle Épicière, who was detained there.
Having found a way to escape with her, he published, for a living, satirical dialogues on the affairs of the time. The beginning of Le Noble's activity as a polemicist is part of the Regale Affair between the Pope and the King of France by the writing of a brochure entitled Le Cibisme in response to the Plea of Monsieur Talon, of ultramontane inspiration. His success encouraged him to continue his publications on the events of the time: the Revolution in England which overthrew James II in favor of William of Orange, and the war of the League of Augsburg against France.
From the outset, Le Noble appears anti-Ultramontane, anti-Orange and anti-Protestant, for the legitimacy of the sovereign, the diplomatic and military policy of Louis XIV.
The first publications, in the form of dialogues, are small brochures bearing a fictitious address London, Rome, Cologne Leiden etc. The first series entitled Dialogues sur les affaires du temps appeared between 1688 and 1690. From January 1690, the publication became monthly and the title changed to "La Pierre de touche politique, Dialogues dans la manner de Lucien, mais appliqués aux grands de Earth". The 28th and last issue appeared in November 1691.
Bayle finds in these texts “infinitely witty and reading”. The prose is clear, incisive, and frequently cut by verses which are not without merit.